Mixed Martial Arts / Boxing Thread

[MHRMI]

MHRMI Interviews Proud Macedonian UFC Fighter Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski

MHRMI Interviews Proud Macedonian UFC Fighter Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski

https://www.mhrmi.org/news/2016/december09_e.asp

(Dec.9, 2016) - Macedonian Human Rights Movement International President, Bill Nicholov, had the pleasure of interviewing proud Macedonian UFC fighter, Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski following his recent and impressive Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

MHRMI: First, congratulations on winning your UFC debut! Yes, I’m pretending to be Joe Rogan or Jon Anik, describe the feeling for us...

AV: To be honest with you, it was a relief. Prior to getting the call up to the UFC I was rated the number one pound-for-pound fighter in South East Asia, Australia and New Zealand riding a 10 fight win streak. I came in to my UFC debut with a lot of hype and a lot of expectation to perform. Every fight is the same for me, so I was not nervous given the scale of the event but I must say to hear Bruce Buffer announce my name and getting my hand raised in the Octagon was the realisation of a dream and a promise to myself that I made the first day I went to the gym.

MHRMI: While watching UFC Fight Night Melbourne on November 26, I saw your name and knew that you must be Macedonian. When they announced “Alexander ‘The Great’ Volkanovski”, it was a moment of pride for myself and Macedonians around the world. How important is displaying pride in your Macedonian heritage to you?

AV: Prior to making the UFC, I fought around Australia and Asia as Alex “The Hulk”, which made sense for me at the time as I was smashing my way through the local competition. When I got the call to fight for the UFC I knew I was destined to move on to bigger things, it was not my intention to just make the UFC, I believe in my skills 100% and truly believe I will have UFC gold in my journey. I saw my UFC debut as the first step in my journey to take over the world and having the chance to do that following in the footsteps of such an important and heroic national figure, given my name and family heritage, to me it seems like my destiny is to put Macedonia on the MMA world map. There is no mistaking where I come from with that name and I want to show other Macedonians that if you follow your dream, nothing is impossible.

MHRMI: What inspired you to become an MMA fighter and how tough a road was it to get into the sport’s biggest promotion? Our tradition of having Macedonian village strength must have played a role

AV: I started off in wrestling at an early age and had great success, winning two Australian titles in that sport. I am a very naturally driven person, no matter what I put my mind to, I want to do it to the best of my ability. I was playing first grade rugby league and training in MMA to keep myself fit for rugby. I went as far as I could go with rugby winning the premiership and leagues best and fairest medal. I decided to move on to MMA and commit myself 100% to that venture. It was such a tough road making it to the UFC, my record was 13-1 and I was coming off 10 consecutive wins, having never fought an opponent with a losing record and winning a world title and 9 Australian titles over 3 weight divisions. I honestly believe you would be hard presed to find someone that took a harder route to the UFC than the path I took.

MHRMI: This is typically the first question asked by Macedonians, even before “what’s your name”, but what village are you from? That was tough waiting until the fourth question....Of course, being born and raised in Australia, how much of a factor did fighting in front of your hometown fans play in your tremendous performance?

AV: My father was from Berenci, I've never been there but I will soon I hope. Fighting in my home country was unreal, especially hearing that crowd roar when I got the victory. I feed off the energy of the crowd and I am humbled every fight by the amazing response I get from my Macedonian fans.

MHRMI: What’s next for you in the UFC?

AV: I was signed by the UFC as a Lightweight (155 lbs) but my division is Featherweight (145 lbs). I made a big enough statement in my debut that I have been accepted to move down to Featherweight which is the most competitive division in the UFC. Being so competitive, I have to wait until I get the call up again to show my skills, make another statement and show them why I deserve to be one of the regular names in the division.

MHRMI: One last Macedonian-centric question...we’ve all experienced the fight about our Macedonian ethnicity and human rights issues. This was on full display during the recent Olympics when Macedonian athletes walked in behind “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and were not permitted to wear their country name on their jerseys. Your success, on its own, raises awareness for Macedonia. There are many ways in which Macedonian athletes can assist in these issues, do you see yourself taking on a role and in what way?

AV: The one thing I want everyone with a dream to understand is, no matter what your dream is, who you are or where you come from, do your best to every day and keep moving forward. Regardless of who tries to bring you down or the obstacles faced, keep moving forward and eventually the negativity will be drowned out by the success and you will be recognised. Always be proud of who you are and where you came from and never let anything get in the way of the success you are working towards.

MHRMI: Do you have a message for your fans and, once again, congratulations!

AV: I say this all the time; I get energy and feed off the love I get from around the world. No voice is louder than the Macedonian support and from the bottom of my heart I thank each and every one of you that are walking this journey by my side, to everyone that has sent a message, bought a shirt, gone to the fights or cheered from home, together we will continue to rise and forge our legacy.

---

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. For more information: 1-416-850-7125, [email protected], www.mhrmi.org, www.twitter.com/mhrmi, www.facebook.com/mhrmi, www.mhrmi.org/OurNameIsMacedonia

[Soldier of Macedon]

That's a great interview. It's good to see a tough Macedonian in the UFC. Hopefully he gets to the top, there is no doubting his enthusiasm. Just on his ancestry, in the below clip (from 30 seconds) he indicates that he is part Macedonian and part Greek.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzMIssc5pVc

So, his dad is Macedonian and mum is Greek (this clip at 2.45)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbdrfESoyuY

[MHRMI]

Thanks! We found out after the interview was released that is mom is Greek, but we're not sure exactly from where. Alex only mentioned his dad in the interview with us.

[Soldier of Macedon]

No problem, he clearly identifies as a Macedonian, and besides, I don't see his maternal ancestry being Greek as an issue anyway.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Any fight fans left here? If so, what do you think about the match-up between these two?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/boxing/article-4310796/Floyd-Mayweather-vs-Conor-McGregor-fight-date-SET-June.html

Floyd Mayweather sets date for fight with Conor McGregor as the pair say it will be strictly boxing in Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor have set the date: June 10, 2017. The American known as Money and the Irishman called The Notorious have named the place: The T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. They have chosen the weapons: Boxing gloves. They have named their own price: $100million each, although in reality McGregor will have to settle for less and give his UFC masters a slice of the action. Mayweather has announced that he is officially coming out of retirement to battle McGregor, who says he wants this war more than any other. So the event they would like to label The Fight of the Century does look like happening. More accurately, not least given Mayweather's pseudonym, it is The Money Maker Of All Time. Even if it lasts no longer than the time it takes McGregor to blink as Mayweather clocks him, this mix-match of the most lucrative marketeers in the noble art and the cage rage will surely smash all box-office records for combat sports. Which is the principal object.

The other, for Mayweather, is that it offers him a clever way of eclipsing the record of retiring on 49 wins and no defeats which he currently shares with the legendary Rocky Marciano. When it comes purely to boxing, McGregor as an exponent of mixed martial arts is a virtual novice. All of which begs the question of whether he has any chance at all against the boxer who calls himself The Best Ever. To be perfectly honest, he does not. His best hope would appear to be that Mayweather takes victory for granted and goes easy on the training. Even that seems unlikely, since the Money mantra has always been 'hard work, dedication.' Mayweather did tarry in the UK before travelling to Prague on the latest leg of a world tour which began soon after he hung up the gloves in September 2015. He has been seen clubbing then eating in McDonald's in the small hours but Team McGregor would be unwise to read too much into that. Mayweather lives in Las Vegas, where he is a regular in the nightclubs. His favourite restaurant on The Strip is called Fatburger but he rarely walks about at more than a few pounds over his fighting weight of 147. With the 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena reportedly reserved for his comeback on June 10 he has plenty of time to get back into training camp and full fitness.

If he needs any reminding, McGregor's boxing is considered the best element of his MMA repertoire with many of his wins coming by way of knockouts inflicted by his sharp left-hook counter-punching. That will add sufficient mystique to their own brilliance at self-promotion to boost the pay-television sales needed to finance their monetary demands. The hype is on. It continues with Mayweather in Prague. Then, in New York this Friday, McGregor leads Michael Conlan into the Theater at Madison Square for his fellow Irishman's professional debut. Conlan, who famously raised his two middle fingers at the judges when they ruled against him at last summer's Rio Games where he was favourite for gold, has the unusual privilege of topping the bill in his first pro fight. All eyes will be on the smiling Irish with hundreds travelling from the Emerald Isle to support Conlan – while celebrating a boisterous St Patrick's night in the Big Apple.

[Risto the Great]

You never fight someone else's fight. The boxer has the advantage here ... All other things being equal.

But this is about money more than anything else.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Brief but solid fight performance by Miocic today. He's one tough Croat and made short work of Junior Dos Santos. If he wins one more he will hold the record for most title defences in the unpredictable UFC heavyweight division.

http://mmajunkie.com/2017/05/ufc-211-results-stipe-miocic-tears-through-junior-dos-santos-for-first-round-tko

UFC 211 results: Stipe Miocic tears through Junior Dos Santos for first-round TKO

May 14, 2017

DALLAS – Stipe Miocic avenged a decision loss to Junior Dos Santos, stopping the former champ in the first round to notch his second title defense. After a grueling five-round slog with Dos Santos (18-5 MMA, 12-4 UFC) in 2014, Miocic (17-2 MMA, 11-2 UFC) cornered Dos Santos and caught him with a right hand that set up a TKO at the 2:22 mark of the first round. The heavyweight title fight headlined today’s UFC 211 event at American Airlines Center in Dallas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and UFC Fight Pass. Rather than call out his next foe, the heavyweight champ used his post-fight speech to give a mother’s day shoutout while looking forward to kitchen renovations back home – and, of course, he proclaimed himself the world’s best heavyweight. Although Miocic got it done early, he sported a nasty injury on his shin and limped after the fight, the result of a checked kick early on. “That was terrible – it hurt,” the 34-year-old Cleveland native said afterward. “The one time I checked it. It was a good game plan.”

Miocic, the No. 1 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, caught the shin shot carrying out that game plan, which involved pressuring Dos Santos to the cage early and unloading big punches. As in previous fights, Dos Santos was willing to play with fire against the cage, hoping to dodge big shots before countering and slipping out of range. Miocic simply kept the pressure up and snuck in a straight right hand that dropped the ex-champ to the mat. After several unanswered punches to the side of Dos Santos’ head, referee Herb Dean had seen enough and called off the bout. Dos Santos, the No. 5 heavyweight, had hoped to win back the title he held for 13 months after knocking out now-former champ Cain Velasquez in 2011. After a rematch and rubber match with Velasquez ended in a lopsided losses, he bounced back with a unanimous decision over Miocic, then a rising prospect. The 2014 fight was a bloody affair for both fighters, who battered each other over five rounds. Miocic landed a higher percentage of significant strikes, and yet Dos Santos came away with a unanimous decision. No judges would be needed for the rematch, however. Miocic’s early work made sure of that.

[Gocka]

Is the Mayweather and McGregor fight really going to happen or was it just hype? I actually like that little arrogant Irishman, I think he has a chance to come out wild and surprise the American.

I don't know if any of you watched the Mayweather and Pacquiao fight but I lost all respect for Mayweather after that one, he fought like a little bitch, and didn't deserve the win.

[Redsun]

I had been watching Pacquiao fight for some time before he fought Mayweather, I thought Pacquiao was going to win.

Pacquiao is a great fighter, Mayweather is a great boxer. People expected a knockout fight, Mayweather may seem like a bitch because he didn't deliver the fight people wanted to see instead he employed everything that is acceptable within that sport, he boxed.

After "that" fight I lost interest in boxing. There was nothing wrong with what Mayweather did he fought good, but I feel now that it is just a sport like cricket or tennis and it no longer excites me.

I would rather watch Tennis, I think its a better sport.

If there were two more rounds, I don't think Mayweather would have lasted.

[Gocka]

I agree, he "boxed". I considered it a technical win, but lets face it, we watch boxing and mma to see a fight, a battle between two warriors, not to watch someone prance around like a fairy for the entire bout. Its because of fights like Mayweather v Pacquiao that boxing has been on a downward spiral, and MMA is gaining popularity. The way MMA is structured its a lot harder to evade the battle, your opponent can and will come at you. All Mayweather did was run around the ring and land jabs, thus collecting points but never looking like he is actually fighting.

I had been watching Pacquiao fight for some time before he fought Mayweather, I thought Pacquiao was going to win.

Pacquiao is a great fighter, Mayweather is a great boxer. People expected a knockout fight, Mayweather may seem like a bitch because he didn't deliver the fight people wanted to see instead he employed everything that is acceptable within that sport, he boxed.

After "that" fight I lost interest in boxing. There was nothing wrong with what Mayweather did he fought good, but I feel now that it is just a sport like cricket or tennis and it no longer excites me.

I would rather watch Tennis, I think its a better sport.

If there were two more rounds, I don't think Mayweather would have lasted.

[Risto the Great]

I don't watch much of this stuff.
Just looking up Miocic on the net. He can really find a head when he is punching. A real fighter.

I think a real boxer would chew him up though.

But very enjoyable to watch.

Brief but solid fight performance by Miocic today. He's one tough Croat and made short work of Junior Dos Santos. If he wins one more he will hold the record for most title defences in the unpredictable UFC heavyweight division.

http://mmajunkie.com/2017/05/ufc-211...irst-round-tko

[Soldier of Macedon]

Alexander 'the Great' Volkanovski won his second UFC bout yesterday. So far things are looking good and at 28 years of age he has plenty of time to develop into a champion. Bout time we see a Macedonian kicking some ass on the world stage.

http://mmajunkie.com/2017/06/ufc-fight-night-110-results-alex-volkanovski-cruises-to-unanimous-decision-win-vs-mizuto-hirota#slideIdslide-3

Alexander Volkanovski hit Mizuto Hirota with everything he had but just couldn’t put him away. After rocking Hirota (14-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) early and late and dominating the fight with his pace and pressure, Volkanovski (15-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC) was the clear winner when the fight went to the scorecards, with every judge scoring it 30-27 to give Volkanovski the unanimous decision.

And great to see Mark Hunt also take the win today.

http://www.smh.com.au/sport/us-sports/ufc-fight-night-this-is-my-hood--mark-hunt-targets-next-opponent-after-happy-homecoming-20170611-gwp1p4.html

Mark Hunt is back and he is already eyeing his next opponent. The Kiwi combat sports legend celebrated his first mixed martial arts bout on home soil with a fourth-round TKO over American Derrick Lewis at UFC Fight Night in Auckland.

[Karposh]

You can watch the whole fight here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPsFpEJ2bcw

Just listen to the crowd roar when Alex drops his opponent at 1:32.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Here's another Macedonian fighter in the UFC. Her name is Nina Ansaroff (Ansarova) and her father is from the Macedonian republic. She is in a relationship with current UFC champ Amanda Nunes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nina_Ansaroff

Nina Ansaroff (born December 3, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the women's strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Ansaroff was born and raised in Weston, Florida and descends from the Republic of Macedonia.

http://www.ufc.com/news/Nina-Ansaroff-Making-Her-True-UFC-Debut

Like most mixed martial artists, Ansaroff started taking martial arts classes at a very young age. In her case it was the Korean style of Taekwondo, which focuses much of its technique on kicking. She thrived at the art, and looked up to kickboxers as her role models, but her father, a first generation Macedonian – was a professional soccer player in Europe, and the family had other ideas for Nina. “I never thought of fighting as something I wanted to do professionally,” she said. “Everybody just thought I would play soccer professionally like my father did, but after high school I just got burned out. I had a motorcycle accident and gained a lot of weight during rehab so I took up mixed martial arts as exercise, and I here I am, getting ready face one of the biggest names in women’s MMA.”

[Risto the Great]

With a shit flag of weakness branded on her. Oh dear.